1

Handbook for Graduate Studies

in Criminal Justice*

North Dakota State University

Fargo, ND

For further information, please contact: Amy Stichman, PhD

Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator

Department of Criminal Justice and Political Science

North Dakota State University

Fargo, ND 58108

701-231-8937 or amy.stichman@ndsu.edu

* This program was approved by the State Board of Higher Education on February 21, 2002.

This document was last revised 10/AUG/17. Policies and procedures contained herein are

subject to further revision.

2

Table of Contents

MISSION STATEMENT………………………………………………………………………..3

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................... 4

ADMISSION TO GRADUATE STUDY .................................................................................... 5

ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL ...................................................................................... 5

MINIMUM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................................... 6

Admission to Criminal Justice Graduate Programs ................................................................. 6

Provisional Admission ............................................................................................................. 7

International Student Admission………………… …………………………………………..7

ACADEMIC ADVISING.………………………………………………………………………..7

GRADUATE STUDENTS RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES…………………………………………8

FINANCIAL AID/ASSISTANTSHIPS…………………………………………………………………8

THE ACCELERATED MASTER'S DEGREE……………………………………….......….11

THE MASTER'S DEGREE……………………………………………………………………13

THE DOCTORAL DEGREE………………………………………………………………….18

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................................................... 18

Foundation Courses ................................................................................................................ 19

Methodological Skills ............................................................................................................ 19

Substantive Areas ................................................................................................................... 19

Electives ................................................................................................................................. 20

EXAMINATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 20

Content ................................................................................................................................... 21

Administration ........................................................................................................................ 21

Preparation ............................................................................................................................. 22

Grading ................................................................................................................................... 22

Failures ................................................................................................................................... 22

Paper Comp Option …………………………...………………………………….… ……...23

Oral Prospectus ...................................................................................................................... 24

DISSERTATION ............................................................................................................................ 24

Dissertation Requirements ..................................................................................................... 24

Dissertation Committee .......................................................................................................... 25

Oral Defense ........................................................................................................................... 25

Dissertation Approval ............................................................................................................ 25

APPENDIX A: FACULTY MEMBERS ................................................................................... 27

APPENDIX B: COURSE DESCRIPTIONS………………………………………………….......……29

3

DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

MISSION STATEMENT

The Criminal Justice Graduate Program in the Department of Criminal Justice and Political

Science fosters the personal growth of individuals by creating an environment which nurtures

intellectual, social and cultural development. As part of the wider North Dakota State University

Community, the Criminal Justice Graduate Program endorses the value placed on People,

Scholarship, the Idea of a University, and the Land-Grant Ideal.

The Criminal Justice Graduate Program, like the College of Arts, Humanities and Social

Sciences, is committed to:

• Providing its students the highest quality of academic and technical preparation in an

atmosphere that promotes intellectual vigor, critical inquiry, ethical citizenry, and

creative decision-making requisite for professional success.

• Encouraging in its faculty exemplary scholarship of teaching, research, and service,

leading to significant publications and outreach to the citizens of the state of North

Dakota.

• Invigorating the tradition of outreach to the community through the discovery, analysis

and dissemination of knowledge relevant to citizens and policy-makers regarding the

issues of crime and criminal justice.

In its vision to realize human potential and achievements, the Criminal Justice Graduate Program

as part of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is guided by the qualities of

creativity, ethical integrity, and mutual respect.

4

OBJECTIVES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

North Dakota State University offers both a Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Administration and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Criminal Justice, designed to train graduate

students in a field that is increasingly marketable. These graduate programs permit students to

engage in focused study of the problems of crime, crime control, and the criminal justice system

while simultaneously developing a strong foundation in related areas of criminological theory,

research methods, and administration.

The M.S. in Criminal Justice Administration consists of two tracks. The Applied Criminal

Justice track will be geared to practicing professionals who wish to apply core principles of

criminal justice in helping to shape the administration of criminal justice practice and policy.

The second, traditional Criminology track includes coursework directed toward advanced

grounding in the concepts, principles, theories, and research methodology of the field.

Graduates from the Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration program will:

1) Be able to understand research findings, and assess the validity of those findings.

2) Be grounded in the theories of criminology, as this knowledge serves as the foundation of

all aspects of the criminal justice system.

3) Have developed and utilized skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Doctoral students are prepared to conduct research in the various areas of criminological theory,

crime control, and correctional and police administration and to pursue teaching and/or research

positions in academia or research positions within the criminal justice system itself. The

curriculum will afford training to students in four areas: 1) criminological theory; 2) advanced

research skills; 3) teaching in academia; and 4) specialization in one of three areas –

Criminology, Corrections, and Policing.

In addition to the objectives for the Master’s degree program, graduates from the Ph.D.

program will:

1) Be able to teach criminal justice at the college level.

2) Be able to market themselves as having expertise in one of the three topical fields,

policing, corrections, or criminology.

3) Be producers of knowledge in the criminal justice field through conducting original

research.

5

ADMISSION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Admission to the Graduate School

For admission to graduate study in either the M.S. or Ph.D. program in Criminal Justice, the

applicant must first be admitted to the Graduate School. An application to the Graduate School

may be obtained from:

North Dakota State University

The Graduate School

P.O. Box 5790

Fargo, ND 58105-5790

Telephone: (701)231-7033

This application is also available on-line at: http://www.ndsu.edu/gradschool/

For admission to the M.S., the applicant must submit the following to the Graduate School:

Application for admission

Personal statement (outlining the applicant’s rationale for pursuing a master’s degree and

demonstrating the potential to succeed in the M.S. program)

Non-refundable application fee

Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate records

Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from the Educational Testing

Service.

Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic

achievements. The Department requires that at least one of these letters be written by an

individual who can evaluate the applicant’s academic performance.

For admission to the Ph.D., the applicant must submit the following to the Graduate School:

Application for admission

Personal statement (outlining the applicant’s rationale for pursuing a Ph.D., specific plans

for utilizing the degree, and demonstrating the potential to succeed in the Ph.D. program)

Non-refundable application fee

Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate records

Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic

achievements. The Department requires that at least 2 letters be written by academics or

professors who can evaluate the applicant’s potential as a future researcher/instructor.

Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from the Educational Testing

Service.

The Department accepts M.S. applications for both Fall and Spring enrollments on a rolling

basis. The Department accepts Ph.D. applications only for Fall enrollment and these must be

received by April 1st. Faculty in the Criminal Justice program make recommendations on all

applications, but the final admission decision is the responsibility of the Dean of the Graduate

6

School. Applicants are responsible for making sure that their applications are complete. No

application will be reviewed until all materials have been submitted.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants to the M.S. program are required to have completed an approved baccalaureate

degree. Students are also required to have had one course in research methods, one course in

statistics, and should document adequate background preparation or demonstrated potential in

the field of Criminology or Criminal Justice.

For admission to full-standing in the M.S. program, students are required to achieve a minimum

grade point average of 3.0 over their last 60 credit hours. Students not meeting these standards

will be evaluated and possibly placed on conditional status. Students not meeting the above

admission standards may be required to enroll in 6-10 graduate credit hours and achieve a

cumulative GPA in these classes of 3.0 for full-standing admission into the program, or

successfully complete other requirements as deemed appropriate by the faculty, prior to

admission to full standing.

Students who enter the PhD program must have earned an approved Master’s degree in the field

of Criminology or Criminal Justice; however, Master’s degrees in other related disciplines will

be considered for admission to the doctoral program. In addition to the general Graduate School

requirements, students will be required to have had one course in undergraduate social or

behavioral theory, one course in research methods, and one course in statistics. Additionally,

students should have adequate background preparation or demonstrated potential in the field of

Criminology or Criminal Justice. For students entering with a Master’s degree, the admissions

committee will decide on a case-by-case basis whether credits from the Master’s degree are

transferable to the Ph.D. program. Additionally, applicants should submit their Master’s thesis

(if applicable) to the graduate coordinator for review. The graduate coordinator will determine

whether the research project is sufficient in scope and depth to warrant further supervised

research.

Applicants to the Ph.D. program are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

and submit their undergraduate and/or graduate transcripts. For admission to full-standing,

students are required to attain a combined minimum score on the GRE of 1,000 (verbal and

quantitative) or 300 (new scoring system) and achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0

over their last 60 credit hours.

Admission to the Graduate Criminal Justice Program

Admission to either the M.S. or Ph.D. program in Criminal Justice depends upon meeting the

general Graduate School requirements and the departmental requirements. Admission is

determined by the Graduate Admission Committee of the Department. This committee reserves

the right to limit the number of applicants accepted to either program at any given time in

response to the availability of departmental resources necessary for effectively operating the

graduate programs in criminal justice. All applicants who have provided the required application

materials, including completed application forms, the application fee, reasons for graduate study

7

statement, transcripts, any required educational credentialing, three completed letters of

recommendation, and any appropriate test scores, will be notified of action taken on their request

for admittance to the Graduate School. Admission of all graduate students requires approval by

the Dean of the Graduate School.

Provisional Admission

Students not meeting the standards described above will be evaluated and possibly placed on

provisional status. Students admitted on provisional status will be informed of the conditions of

their admission and requirements for timely completion of those requirements. Students not

meeting the admission standards may be required to enroll in 6-10 graduate credit hours and

achieve a grade of “B” or better in all classes (other conditions may also apply). After

completing all of the requirements, students admitted on provisional status will be evaluated by

the Department to determine if they will be admitted to full-standing or advised to discontinue

the program.

International Student Admission

North Dakota State University welcomes international students as part of the student body, and

the Graduate School encourages applications from qualified students throughout the world. In

addition to meeting the previously stated admission requirements, to qualify for admission in an

advanced degree program, all international students must demonstrate proficiency in English and

must provide evidence of adequate financial support for themselves and any dependents for the

duration of their graduate program. Also, international students who have not attended a U.S.

university or college must have their grade reports (educational credentials) evaluated by

Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. on the Course-by-Course (second level of evaluation)

basis. An ECE, Inc. application may be obtained from the NDSU Graduate School, or you may

contact Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. in one of the following ways: www.ece.org

(application and all information are available); 414-289-3400 (telephone); 414-289-3411 (fax);

ECE, Inc., P.O. Box 514070, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203-3470.

English proficiency must be demonstrated prior to admission by obtaining a minimum score of

100 (ibT) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a score of 7 IELTS. To

qualify for graduate assistantships applicants need a score of 114 TOEFL (ibT) or 8 IELTS. The

test date must be within two years of the date of the application to the Graduate School. All

application materials for international students must be received by the Graduate School prior to

May 1st for Fall Semester and August 1st for the Spring Semester.

Academic Advising

Upon enrolling in either graduate program, new students should meet with the Graduate

Coodinator to identify an appropriate selection of coursework for the first semester of graduate

study. Also, within the first year of enrolling in the program, students should meet with the

Graduate Coordinator to discuss their Plan of Study.

8

Plan of Study forms for the doctoral degree are simple but critical documents. These forms may

be obtained from the Graduate School (http://www.ndsu.edu/gradschool/grad_forms.shtml)

either online or in-person (2nd Floor of Old Main). The forms request a listing of all courses the

student has taken, is taking, and plans to take to complete degree requirements. The form is

signed by the student's advisor and supervisory committee members. No other form is required to

specify planned courses, advisor or supervisory committee members. Finally, the forms require

the signature of the Department Chair, the Dean of the College, and the Dean of the Graduate

School.

The Plan of Study forms provide the backbone for the student's entire graduate program of study.

Often students delay completing these forms for fear that changes may need to be made later.

However, changes are easy with the appropriate form from the Graduate School. It is better to

complete a Plan of Study form, get it on record and make changes later, than it is to delay its

completion altogether. Students should complete the Doctoral Plan of Study by the end of the

second year in the program. Masters students should submit the Plan of Study to the Graduate

School by the end of the first year in the program.

Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities

The Graduate School website provides a detailed description of graduate student rights and

responsibilities at the following link:

https://bulletin.ndsu.edu/graduate/policies/

Graduate Assistantships and Other Financial Aid

Various types of financial assistance are available to graduate students in the Criminal Justice

program, such as (but not limited to) student loans, scholarships and fellowships, graduate

assistantships, graduate tuition waivers, and part-time employment opportunities both on and off

campus.

The Department views the opportunity for graduate students to work on assistantships as a

privilege afforded to promising students who have demonstrated potential for success in graduate

studies. In addition, the Department views the awarding of assistantships as an investment in the

potential success of the graduate student, both academically within the program and as a future

professional. As such, additional employment outside the university/department is strongly

discouraged, as such employment is likely to seriously detract from the student’s academic

progress and interfere with the appropriate completion of the responsibilities related to the

assistantship, especially in the case of full time (20 hours per week) assistantships.

The Department offers a number of graduate assistantships for well-qualified graduate students.

Students who receive an assistantship are employed as either teaching or research assistants.

Teaching-related responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

1) assisting in exam construction and proctoring

2) assisting in meeting student needs (e.g., answering questions and helping students

9

understand course materials)

3) grading short assignments and recording grades

4) setting up instructional media equipment

Research-related responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

1) conducting a literature review

2) assisting with research design (e.g., sampling, instrument construction)

3) data collection, coding, and analysis

4) manuscript and/or technical report preparation, as deemed appropriate by the faculty

member

Assistantship Award Policies and Procedures

All students, both continuing and newly accepted, are considered for funding on an annual basis.

Students who are not admitted in full standing are typically not eligible for funding. Graduate

assistantships will be awarded contingent upon the availability of funds. Evaluation criteria for

the awarding of graduate assistantships include factors such as the number of graduate credits

earned (if the applicant is already in the program), academic performance (graduate and/or

undergraduate GPA), letters of recommendation and/or faculty input, and past performance as a

graduate assistant (if applicable). Current and incoming graduate students who are interested in receiving assistantships must request them after acceptance into the program. These assistantships are competitive and may not be granted to all students. PhD students will have priority.

Returning students will be evaluated based upon their performance in the department, both

academically and in terms of any past assistantship assignments. Funded students who fail to

meet their assistantship obligations and/or who fail to make reasonable progress through the

academic program risk having their assistantship revoked. Students with more than one C grade

or any grade lower than a C (i.e., D or F) are not making adequate progress. No more than one

grade of C will be allowed for the student to retain funding. Greater than one C grade during the

student’s academic career and any grade lower than a C (i.e., D or F) means automatic,

permanent loss of funding. Each semester, faculty supervising graduate assistants will be asked

to evaluate the quality of work demonstrated by their graduate assistants.

At the time of appointment, the student will be provided with a letter of contract from the

department specifically outlining each of the following areas of information, including 1) work

responsibilities associated with the assistantship, 2) length of appointment, 3) who the student’s

immediate supervisor is, 4) the amount of the compensation involved, including tuition

remission, and 5) appropriate procedures for the student to lodge complaints or address

grievances.

For individuals officially appointed as research or teaching assistants, tuition (both resident and

nonresident) for all graduate credits is waived. Student activity fees are not waived. Students

awarded assistantships in the Department receive a stipend. Assistantships are part-time

employment and thus do not include fringe benefits (i.e., health coverage). A student receiving a

10

full time (20 hours per week) assistantship must take at least nine credits of graduate course work

each semester.

Students may be given the opportunity to teach courses as a graduate instructor. In order to be

eligible for consideration, a student generally must have a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice or

a related area or a J.D. and must have completed HUM 702: Introduction to College Teaching.

Exceptions to these requirements may be made at the discretion of the faculty, as Department

needs dictate.

The following criteria influence the decision regarding which graduate students will be allowed

to teach CJ courses:

1. Only doctoral students are considered for teaching their own class; exceptions may be

made for teaching the CJ/POLS 325 research methods lab.

2. Student must be making adequate progress as defined on page 9.

3. Student must have taken and successfully completed the required teaching class.

4. Availability of classes

5. How much coursework the student has completed during tenure in program.

6. Priority is given to students who are soon graduating with their PhD, especially for the in-

person classes.

All students interested in receiving an assistantship must submit an application to the Department

by April 1st. See Graduate TA/RA link found on the Criminal Justice Graduate program website:

http://www.ndsu.edu/cjps/criminal_justice/graduate_program/. While these applications are

included in the assistantship decision-making process, individual faculty members reserve the

right to hire graduate students for externally funded projects at their discretion, as well as the

right to remove those students from the project for failure to adequately perform the duties

required of the research assistantship, as outlined in the letter of contract.

Graduate Assistants’ Rights and Responsibilities

Graduate students involved in teaching (either as Teaching Assistants or as Graduate Student

Instructors) are responsible for behaving in an ethical and otherwise appropriate manner at all

times when dealing with their students. The nature of undergraduate instruction is such that care

must be taken at all times in dealing with students so that even the potential perception of

inappropriate behavior is avoided. Graduate students are responsible for being familiar with and

adhering to the standards of behavior regarding appropriate interaction with students, outlined in

relevant sections of the University and College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences’ Faculty

Policy Manuals. In particular, graduate students involved in teaching activities should be

familiar with NDSU Policy Manual Chapter 1 (Sections 150-169, regarding Employee

Responsibilities/Activities), Chapter 3 (sections 320-329 and 330-339, regarding Responsibilities

11

and Activities, and Teaching, respectively) and Chapter 6 (Sections 600-608, regarding Student

Affairs). These policies are available online at http://www.ndsu.edu/policy/.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

ACCELERATED MASTER’S PROGRAM IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

The Accelerated Master’s program allows exceptional undergraduate criminal justice students to

complete their Master’s degree in three semesters beyond the Bachelor’s degree.

ADMISSION PROCESS: Upon completion of 60 undergraduate credit hours, eligible Criminal Justice majors can apply to

the Accelerated Master’s program. A minimum GPA of 3.5 for the Criminal Justice major, an

overall cumulative GPA of 3.5, and successful completion of CJ 325 (Applied Research

Methods) is required prior to admission to the program. Students may apply while enrolled in CJ

325, but must earn a minimum grade of “B” prior to beginning graduate coursework. Interested

students may apply by completing an application on the NDSU graduate school website

(www.ndsu.edu/graduateschool), requesting at least two letters of recommendation from faculty

or instructors, and submitting a statement of intent explaining why the applicant wants to pursue

a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. Interested students should apply early in the criminal

justice program as credits from completed 400 level courses cannot be retroactively applied to

the Accelerated Master’s program.

COURSES:

Once admitted to the Accelerated Master’s program, students will take four 400/600 level

courses (CJ 606 Crime and Delinquency; CJ 607 Deviant Behavior; CJ 660 Criminal Court

System, and CJ 661 Corrections) to fulfill the requirements for their Bachelor’s degree in

Criminal Justice and also receiving credit toward a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. Students

enrolling in these courses at the 600 level can expect additional reading and writing beyond

expectations for students completing these courses for 400 level credit. Students are required to

earn a minimum of a “B” in order for the course to count toward the Master’s degree. Failing to

earn a “B” in any of the 400/600 cross-listed courses will be allowed one “re-take” of that

course. Students receiving anything below a “B” in a retaking of a 400/600 level course will be

removed from the program and will not be allowed to re-apply for admission into the

Accelerated program or the traditional Master’s program. Transfer credits from courses

completed at other universities are not accepted for the Accelerated Master’s program. Upon

successful completion of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree, students will begin taking

700 level graduate courses.

POLICY PAPER/THESIS:

Students have a choice between writing a policy paper and a thesis with the former summarizing

research evaluating a policy or practice of a student’s choosing while the latter is a description of

original research with the guidance of a faculty advisor. Students who wish to pursue additional

graduate studies are encouraged to participate in the thesis option. Additional information about

the policy paper/thesis can be found in the criminal justice graduate handbook located on the

NDSU Department of Criminal Justice and Political Science website (www.ndsu.edu/cjps).

12

SAMPLE CURRICULUM FOR ACCELERATED MASTER’S PROGRAM:

Year 1 CJ 201 Introduction to Criminal Justice

CJ 210 Introduction to Policing

Year 2 Fall semester:

CJ 230 Criminology & Criminal Law

*Apply to the Criminal Justice professional program upon completion of 45 credit hours

Year 2 Spring semester:

CJ/POLS 325 Applied Research Methods

CJ Elective course

*Apply to Accelerated Master’s Program upon completion of 60 credit hours

Year 3 Fall semester:

CJ 330 Criminal Law & Procedure

Year 3 Spring semester:

*CJ 460/660 Criminal Court System (3 credits)

*CJ 406/606 Crime and Delinquency (3 credits)

*CJ 407/607 Deviant Behavior (3 credits)

Year 4 Fall semester:

*CJ 461/661 Corrections (3 credits)

CJ 465 Women and Minorities in the Criminal Justice System

CJ 489 Senior Capstone

**Bachelor’s degree completed

Year 4 Spring semester:

CJ 703 Advanced Criminology (3 credits)

CJ 702 Program Evaluation (3 credits)

Year 5 Fall semester:

CJ 734 Advanced Criminal Justice Methods (3 credits)

CJ 709 Criminal Justice Policy (3 credits)

STATS 725 Applied Statistics (3 credits)

Year 5 Spring semester:

CJ 797 or 798 Thesis/Policy Paper (3 credits)

**Master’s degree completed: 30 credits

13

THE MASTER’S DEGREE

General Requirements

The curricular structure of the M.S. program is listed below. Students will select one of two

tracks: an Applied Track will be oriented to students who wish to apply criminal justice

principles and research to a management or policy-based position in criminal justice. This track

focuses on providing knowledge relevant for career advancement and the improvement of

criminal justice system operations to practicing professionals (e.g., law enforcement officers,

correctional directors). Students in this track are required to complete a policy-based paper as a

final step in the course of study. The Criminology Track is open to students who may

subsequently wish to pursue a Ph.D. in criminology or criminal justice or who are simply more

interested in the behavioral and/or theoretical approaches in criminology. This track culminates

in the writing of a Master’s Thesis, which will make an original contribution to knowledge in the

field of criminal justice/criminology.

The curricular structure of the program for Master’s applicants entering the Applied track is:

Foundation Courses 18 cr.

Corrections Elective 3 cr.

Policing Elective 3 cr.

Policy-Based Paper (CJ797) 6 cr.

Total 30 cr.

**Substitutions can be made for elective courses with the permission and approval of the

Graduate Coordinator

The curricular structure of the program for Master’s applicants entering the Criminology track is:

Foundation Courses 18 cr.

Theory Courses 3 cr.

Elective Courses 3 cr.

Master’s Thesis (CJ798) 6 cr.

Total 30 cr.

**Substitutions can be made for elective courses with the permission and approval of the

Graduate Coordinator

14

All students are required to achieve a grade of “B” or better in all courses. Nine credits per

semester are considered a full-time graduate load. Full-time graduate assistants (20 hours/week)

are expected to maintain a full-time course load. Any graduate assistant wishing to register for

more than 10 credits in a regular semester must secure the approval of their academic dean and

the Dean of the Graduate School.

All requirements for the M.S. degree must be completed within a period of 10 consecutive years.

Graduate credit for any course work that is more than 10 calendar years old at the time of

graduation may not be used to satisfy degree requirements.

M.S. “Applied” Track Curriculum Details

REQUIRED COURSES

FOUNDATION COURSES (Student must complete all courses for a total of 18 credits)

CJ703 (3) Advanced Criminology

CJ709 (3) Criminal Justice Policy

CJ702 (3) Program Evaluation

Stat725 (3) Applied Statistics

CJ 734 (3) Advanced Criminal Justice Methods

CJ 759 (3) Advanced Research Design

ELECTIVE COURSES

(Student must complete one course from each of these areas for a total of 6 credits)

CORRECTIONS (3 Credits)

CJ707 (3) Juvenile Corrections

CJ 733 (3) Issues in Institutional Corrections

CJ762 (3) Community Corrections

CJ763 (3) Correctional Rehabilitation

CJ764 (3) Punishment and Society

POLICING (3 Credits)

CJ755 (3) Administrative Policing

CJ760 (3) Police and Race Issues

CJ761 (3) Police Effectiveness

CJ754 (3) Police and Society

CJ765 (3) Classics in Policing

TERMINAL PAPER

CJ797 (6) Policy-based Paper

15

M.S. “Criminology” Track Curriculum Details

REQUIRED COURSES

FOUNDATION COURSES (Student must complete all courses for a total of 18 credits)

CJ703 (3) Advanced Criminology

CJ709 (3) Criminal Justice Policy

CJ702 (3) Program Evaluation

Stat725 (3) Applied Statistics

CJ 734 (3) Advanced Criminal Justice Methods

CJ 759 (3) Advanced Research Design

THEORY COURSES (Student must complete one course for a total of 3 credits)

CJ721 (3) Individual Theories of Crime

CJ722 (3) Structural Theories of Crime

ELECTIVE COURSES (Student must complete one of these courses for a total of 3

credits)

CJ606 (3) Crime and Delinquency

CJ750 (3) Violence

CJ752 (3) Criminogenic Commodities

CJ607 (3) Deviant Behavior

CJ768 (3) Gender and Justice

TERMINAL PAPER

CJ798 (6) Master’s Thesis

Master’s Paper/Thesis

A written Master’s Paper or Thesis, as required by the respective M.S. tracks must be completed

and orally presented to the student’s committee for defense. The Master’s Paper must show

originality and demonstrate the student’s capacity to locate, digest and integrate relevant

empirical and other information to create an effective policy analysis. Specifically, the policy

paper should include the following items: (1) Introduction - present and discuss the policy

featured in your paper; (2) Review existing research/literature on the policy; (3) Create a

research design that describes how you could evaluate the efficacy or utility of the policy; (4)

Justify your research design, and (5) Conclusions. The goal of the Master’s Thesis is to

demonstrate the student’s ability for independent, original research productivity. In particular,

the Thesis must embody results of original research focusing on a significant problem or issue in

criminal justice which constitutes a definitive contribution to knowledge.

16

Paper/Thesis Requirements

General instructions on format are included in the North Dakota State University Graduate

School Guidelines for the Preparation of Disquisitions, which is available at the Varsity Mart,

and can be found at http://www.ndsu.edu/gradschool.

Paper/Thesis Committee

Each prospective candidate for the M.S. degree must select a Paper/Thesis advisor who will then

assist in the selection of a three person advisory committee. The student, with the approval of the

department chair, will select a major advisor. The advisor-student relationship must be mutually

acceptable. The advisor will act as the chair of the student’s advisory committee. The advisor

and student shall agree upon two additional committee members. One of these members must be

from the faculty. The other member may be either a faculty member or a qualified off-campus

expert in the field (off-campus experts must have a PhD and be approved by the student’s

advisor and the Graduate Council). One committee member must be from outside the student’s

academic college.

NOTE: Other qualified individuals may participate as committee members following

approval by the graduate dean upon a recommendation accompanied by rationale and

curriculum vitae by the appropriate department/program chair and academic dean.

The advisory committee agreed upon by the advisor and student and approved by the

department/program chair and the academic dean shall be recommended to the Dean of the

Graduate School for final approval. Each committee member shall have an equal vote in

committee decisions.

The plan of study should be submitted to the Graduate School for approval not later than the

term immediately after the supervisory committee is formed and must be filed in the Graduate

School prior to scheduling of the preliminary oral examination. Revisions in the program of

study must be approved by the student, advisory committee, department/program chair (when

required) and Dean of the Graduate School. The graduate dean will officially notify the student,

advisory committee, department/program chair, and the academic dean of all changes.

Oral Prospectus Hearing

After the advisory committee is approved the student will prepare a proposal for the conduct of

the Master’s Paper/Thesis and attend an oral prospectus hearing. All committee members must

be present at this hearing, which will encompass a demonstration of the interplay of student

knowledge and their Paper/Thesis project and committee members will provide relevant

feedback as the appropriate methods to be used and topical content for the Paper/Thesis project.

This will constitute a defense of the proposal for the Paper/Thesis. After successful completion

of this oral proposal defense, the student will be granted permission by the committee to begin

work on the Paper/Thesis in line with the recommendations made as to the structure of this

project. At least one academic semester must elapse between the oral prospectus hearing and the

final oral examination of the Paper/Thesis.

17

Oral Defense Hearing

Students must be registered for at least one credit in the semester in which they plan to defend

their Paper/Thesis and graduate. The graduate dean will formally notify the committee and the

student when and where the examination has been scheduled. The examining committee shall

consist of the student’s advisory committee. The Paper/Thesis in a near final form must be given

to the committee members at least seven (7) days prior to the final examination.

Paper/Thesis Approval

At the conclusion of each oral examination, the examining committee shall record in writing its

approval or disapproval of the candidate and file its report with the graduate dean. The

committee’s decision filed on the Report of the Final Examination signifies that the student has

been examined with respect to the knowledge required in the major area and that all course work

has been satisfactorily completed. This form should be filed in the Graduate School within seven

(7) days.

After the exam, the student incorporates into the Paper/Thesis corrections suggested at the oral

examination. One copy of the Paper/Thesis, on regular paper, is presented to the Graduate

School for editing and a format check by a disquisition editor in the Office of Graduate Studies.

After editorial, format, and graduate dean approval, five (5) final copies of the Paper/Thesis, on

the required paper and bearing the disquisition approval form signed by the advisor, all other

supervisory committee members, and the department chair, are to be presented, unbound, to the

Office of Graduate Studies. With each copy, the candidate must submit an abstract not exceeding

350 words. These five (5) final copies must be accompanied by a receipt from the Business

Office for the cost of the binding. Two (2) bound copies of the Paper/Thesis go to the University

Library. The remaining three (3) bound copies are for the student, the student’s adviser, and the

student’s department. Each candidate who passes the final examination must also submit a sixth

copy of the Paper/Thesis, accompanied by an additional copy of the title page and an additional

copy of the Abstract signed by the major adviser.

The student has one (1) year from the date of the final examination to deliver the six (6) final

copies to the Office of Graduate Studies and complete all other degree requirements. Should the

disquisition not be deposited as specified or all other degree requirements not be completed, the

student must repeat the final examination. If a period of time two years or greater lapses before

the final copies are submitted, the student must reapply to the Graduate School and must register

for a minimum of two (2) credits.

18

THE DOCTORAL DEGREE

General Requirements

The curricular structure of the program is listed below for students entering the program with a

master's degree that is not related to criminal justice/criminology:

Theory/Policy courses 9 cr.

Research skills 15 cr.

Substantive Area 18 cr.

Electives/Indiv. Study 36 cr.

Indiv. Study/Dissertation 12 cr.

Total 90 cr.

Students entering the program with an approved master’s degree are required to complete a

minimum of 60 credit hours, and at least three (3) of the research skills courses must be

completed at NDSU. The graduate committee will review the student’s transcript to determine

whether the student has successfully completed any of the required courses in their master’s

program. In the case that a course taken in the master’s program is sufficiently similar to

required courses at NDSU and a student has successfully completed that course, the requirement

may be waived. (For example, if a student received an “A” in a course similar to “Advanced

Criminological Theory,” CJ703 may be waived as a requirement.) The student will be advised

within their first semester of study as to whether any credits will be waived. Any credits waived

in this manner must be completed as either electives or dissertation credits.

The curricular structure of the program for doctoral students entering with a Master’s degree in

Criminal Justice/Criminology is as follows:

Theory/Policy courses 9 cr.

Research skills 15 cr.

Substantive Area 18 cr.

Electives/Indiv. Study 15 cr.

Indiv. Study/Dissertation 1-12 cr.

Total 60 cr.

19

All students are required to achieve a grade of “B” or better in all courses. Nine credits per

semester are considered a full-time graduate load. Full-time graduate assistants are expected to

maintain a full-time course load. Any graduate assistant wishing to register for more than 10

credits in a regular semester must secure the approval of their academic dean and the Dean of the

Graduate School.

All requirements for the PhD degree must be completed within a period of 10 consecutive years.

Graduate credit for any course work, not including the Master’s degree that is more than 10

calendar years old at the time of the final oral examination may not be used to satisfy degree

requirements.

Ph.D. Curriculum Details

REQUIRED COURSES

THEORY/POLICY COURSES (Students must complete all courses for a total of 9

credits)

CJ703 Advanced Criminology

CJ709 Criminal Justice Policy

Hum702 Introduction to College Teaching

RESEARCH SKILLS (Students must complete all courses for a total of 15

credits, 9 of these must be completed at NDSU)

Stat725 Applied Statistics

Stat726 Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance

CJ702 Program Evaluation

CJ 734 (3) Advanced Criminal Justice Methods

CJ 759 (3) Advanced Research Design

SUBSTANTIVE AREAS

Students are required to complete a total of 18 credits in the substantive areas. Students must

complete four courses in a substantive area of choice (12 credits). Additionally, students

must complete one course in each of their non-substantive areas (6 credits total).

CRIMINOLOGY

CJ721 Individual Theories of Crime

CJ722 Structural Theories of Crime

CJ750 Violence

CJ752 Criminogenic Commodities

20

CORRECTIONS

CJ707 Juvenile Corrections

CJ733 Issues in Institutional Corrections

CJ762 Community Corrections

CJ763 Correctional Rehabilitation

CJ764 Punishment and Society

POLICING

CJ755 Administrative Policing

CJ760 Police and Race Issues

CJ761 Police Effectiveness

CJ754 Police and Society

CJ765 Classics in Policing

ELECTIVE COURSES

Students are also required to complete 15 credits of elective courses. The following courses

are examples of electives that may be taken. Students should consult with their advisor as to

other potentially appropriate electives.

CJ768 Gender and Justice

CDFS650 Adolescent Development

Psych640 Experimental Methods

Psych670 Experimental Social Psychology

Stat660 Applied Survey Sampling

Soc700 Qualitative Methods

Stat 665 Meta-Analysis Methods

Comprehensive Examinations

The PhD comprehensive examinations are an integral part of the Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. They

represent the part of the program that requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the

central issues facing the discipline. They also require students to have formed their own positions

on these issues, as well as to demonstrate that they have the ability to articulate and defend these

positions. As such, they place an emphasis not only on what people know but also on how they

can use what they know, and if they have developed an understanding of how what we know can

be transformed through research, theory development, and action. The student is expected to

demonstrate in the examinations their reasoned perspective on the literature in our field and their

ability to integrate that literature to describe future developments.

For full-time students, comprehensive examinations (or paper comp option) should be completed

no later than the end of the third year in the program for students entering the program with a

Master’s degree that is not in criminal justice or criminology. For students entering with a

master’s degree in criminal justice and/or criminology, preliminary examinations should be

completed by the end of their second year in the program. Failure to do so may be seen as a

21

failure to make reasonable academic progress in the program and could result in denial of

financial assistance or removal from the Ph.D. program altogether. Students who choose not to

take the comprehensive exam will receive a “fail” each time that they do not take the exam. It is

strongly recommended that students complete at least 80% of the relevant coursework in a

particular area before taking that exam. However, students must remember that completion of

these courses will not necessarily prepare them fully for the comprehensive exams (see

“Preparation” below).

Comprehensive Exam Content

All Ph.D. students are required to complete two comprehensive examinations (one in

Methods/Theory and one in Policing or Corrections) or one comprehensive exam in

Methods/Theory and the comp paper option focused on Corrections or Policing.

The Theory/Methods examination includes the history of criminological theory, meanings of and

trends in theory development, contemporary theories of crime and criminal behavior, research

testing these theories, and applications of these theories to types of crime (e.g., drugs, violence,

white collar crime, etc.) and groups of special interest (e.g., women, minorities, juveniles, and

victims). In addition, this exam will require students to relate their knowledge of the methods

commonly employed in criminological research, including both quantitative and qualitative

methods and analytical techniques.

The Corrections examination generally covers topics including the administration of the

correctional system, as well as the theory of and research on corrections, including prevention

and treatment of criminal offenders, prediction of criminal behavior, and other responses by the

criminal justice system to the problems posed by known or likely juvenile and/or adult offenders.

The Policing examination covers topics related to the administration, operation, theory, and

research of law enforcement activities, including use of discretion, police and community issues,

and the effectiveness of police activities on crime and other social problems. Students will be

required to demonstrate their ability to design research on the most current police issues, as well

as apply or create theories that help explain police behaviors.

Comprehensive Exam Administration

All examinations are given twice each year, generally on the second Friday and Saturday in February and the second Friday and Saturday in August. This schedule may vary depending on faculty availability, but every effort is made to keep these exams within this time frame and so there are six months between the exams. The exam will be administered from 9am – 2pm on

Friday and Saturday. Students will be given several questions of which they will be required to

answer four (two on Friday and two on Saturday). At each offering, the Department will

designate a specific faculty member to proctor the exam process. Copies of past examinations

will be available on the Department website and will be available to students to facilitate their

understanding of the nature of the examinations and the expectations for their overall content.

All examinations must be word-processed. Students who elect to hand write their answers must

leave the answers with the examiner at the end of the examination, then return to the

Department on the next business day to key in the exact text they have handwritten during the

examination.

22

The text will be proofread by staff. Any variation between the two versions will be handled as a

case of academic dishonesty and may result in failure of the comprehensive exam.

Comprehensive Exam Preparation

Preparation for the Theory/Methods, Corrections, and Policing comprehensive examinations is

facilitated by taking required and recommended courses. These courses are not required of

students before taking exams but are offered as guides to the kinds of materials that should be

covered during the preparation. It must be understood that completion of these courses is not all

that needs to be done to prepare for comprehensive exams. In addition to satisfactory

performance in course work, the students must develop their own positions and organize the

literature in a way that leads them to be able to “profess” the discipline.

For the Theory/Methods examination, students should consider taking courses offered as part of

the Criminological Theory track (Criminology, Delinquency, Individual Theories, Structural

Theories, Criminogenic Commodities, and Violence). Courses in research and statistical methods

will also be useful in preparing for this exam (Quantitative Methods, Qualitative Methods,

Applied Statistics, Applied Regression Models, and Program Evaluation).

For the Corrections examination, students should consider taking classes in this track (Issues in

Institutional Corrections, Community Corrections, Juvenile Corrections, and Correctional

Rehabilitation). For the Policing examination, students should consider taking courses from the

Policing track (Police and Society; Classics in Policing; Administrative Policing, Community

Policing, Police Effectiveness, and Police and Race Issues). Again, it is important to note that

successful completion of these courses is not all that needs to be done in terms of preparation for

any of the comprehensive examinations.

In addition to coursework, students have access to suggested reading lists compiled by the

faculty for each examination. As with coursework, these reading lists are designed to be study

guides. In addition to the material on the reading lists, students are expected to keep up to date

with current literature in the field and to find additional relevant materials.

Grading of Comprehensive Exams

Comprehensive examinations will be graded by at least three faculty members with full-time

appointments in the Department. Each grader will grade each question “pass” or “fail” (faculty

may also make a recommendation for or against a grade of “pass with distinction”). The

Department Chair, or his or her designee, will tabulate scores by student in a matrix by de-

identified graders. Each student will be allowed to review the matrix for their own examination,

but not for other students. All examinations with 75% of the total possible score will pass. Those

with less than 75% will fail.

Comprehensive Exam Failures

23

If a student fails a comprehensive examination, he or she must retake the exam at the next

offering or face removal from the Ph.D. program. A student who fails a Comprehensive

Examination will be responsible for meeting with a faculty member for advising about how to

proceed in preparation for the second administration. A student who fails the same

comprehensive examination twice shall be terminated from the Ph.D. program.

Comprehensive Paper Option

After passing the Methods/Theory comprehensive exam, doctoral students can choose to take

their policing or corrections comprehensive exam in a classroom setting (similar to the

administration of the Methods/Theory exam), or they can write a policing or corrections paper

for publication in a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal. Graduate students are encouraged to

discuss the paper comp option with their mentoring professor(s) and/or the Graduate

Coordinator. Graduate students must inform the CJ Graduate Coordinator of their choice (in

writing) no later than two weeks after receiving notification that they passed the Methods/Theory

comp. After informing the Graduate Coordinator of their choice, graduate students cannot

change their mind about their choice/decision.

Graduate students will have two months (from the date that they inform the CJ Graduate

Coordinator of their choice) to choose a topic and data source(s) for the paper, and hold a

meeting with either the policing or corrections comp committee to get formal approval of their

topic and data source(s). Comp papers must be focused on topics directly related to corrections

or policing (committee members will approve paper topics). Students need to provide each

committee member with a written “plan of action” two weeks before the approval meeting. The

“plan of action” should include a detailed description of the purpose of the paper, as well as any

data/data sources and analytic technique(s) that will be used for the completion of the paper. The

“plan of action” should also identify the journal to which the paper will be submitted upon

completion. If students choose to collect their own data, they need to seek IRB approval

immediately following approval of the topic by the comp committee. If students want to use

existing data sources, they must provide the committee with written permission from the person

or group who owns the data. Exceptions to this rule would include data from the Uniform Crime

Report, Census, ICPSR and any other data that is accessible to the public on the Internet. The

data source(s) used for this paper must be different from the data source(s) that will be used for

the dissertation. If the “plan of action” is not acceptable to the committee, the student must make

appropriate changes within three weeks of the initial meeting. If the “plan of action” is still not

accpetable to the committee the second time they review it, the student will receive a “fail” for

the comp paper.

The paper must be solo-authored by the graduate student who has written the paper. Graduate

students who choose the paper comp option cannot seek/receive help or guidance on the paper

from faculty or staff (both inside and outside of the department and university) or from fellow

graduate students. If graduate students seek outside help from anyone, they will receive a “fail”

for the paper.

24

Students must have their paper completed and reviewed by the comp committee no later than

nine months from the date that they informed the Graduate Coordinator of their choice. If this

does not happen by the nine-month deadline, it will count as a “fail” for the paper requirement.

Comp papers will receive an “accept/pass”, “revise and resubmit” or “reject/fail”. In order to

receive an “accept/pass”, “revise and resubmit” or “reject/fail” from the committee, two out of

three committee members must vote to “accept/pass”, “revise and resubmit” or “reject/fail” the

paper. Students will have three weeks to resubmit papers that receive a “revise and resubmit”

from the committee. Graduate students are allowed to submit comp papers to the committee a

second time if they receive a “reject/fail” on their first attempt. The second attempt at the comp

paper includes another nine-month deadline (beginning the day after a paper has received a

“reject/fail” grade from the committee). Comp committee members will provide written

feedback on all papers submitted for review. Graduate students will be notified of the

committee’s decision no later than two weeks after submitting their paper to the committee.

All comp papers must be submitted to the journal identified in the written “plan of action” no

later than one week after the comp committee has issued an “accept/pass” grade for the paper.

Written proof or an email receipt of submission of the paper to a journal is required to fulfill this

step in the process. Submission of a paper to a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal is the last

required step in the comp paper process. If this submission deadline is not met, the paper will

receive a “fail” from the comp committee.

Oral Prospectus Hearing

Successful completion of these two exams will be followed by an oral prospectus hearing

(preliminary oral exam). This hearing will encompass a demonstration of the interplay of student

knowledge (theory/methods + substantive area) and their dissertation project. This will constitute

a defense of the proposal for the dissertation. After successful completion of the written and oral

exams, the student will be formally admitted to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

At least one academic semester must elapse between the preliminary oral examination and the

final oral examination of the dissertation.

Dissertation Guidance

A written dissertation must be completed and orally presented to the student’s committee for

defense. The dissertation must show originality and demonstrate the student’s capacity for

independent research. It must embody results of original research focusing on a significant

problem or issue in criminal justice which constitutes a definitive contribution to knowledge.

Dissertation Requirements

General instructions on format are included in the North Dakota State University Graduate

School Guidelines for the Preparation of Disquisitions, which is available at the Varsity Mart,

and can be found at http://www.ndsu.edu/gradschool.

25

Dissertation Committee

For each prospective candidate for the doctoral degree, an advisory committee consisting of at

least four members will be appointed. The student, with the approval of the department chair,

will select a major advisor. The advisor-student relationship must be mutually acceptable. The

advisor will act as the chair of the student’s supervisory committee and will be in charge of the

plan of study. The advisor and student shall agree upon two additional committee members. One

of these members must be from the faculty. The other member may be either a faculty member

or a qualified off-campus expert in the field (off-campus experts must have a PhD and be

approved by the student’s advisor and the Graduate Council). A fourth committee member serves

as a Graduate School appointee. This appointment is made by the graduate dean, but suggestions

as to who the appointee might be are welcome and useful. One committee member must be from

outside the student’s academic college. The Graduate School appointee may or may not be the

outside committee member. The Graduate School appointee must be a Full Member of the

NDSU Graduate Faculty.

NOTE: Other qualified individuals may participate as committee members following

approval by the graduate dean upon a recommendation accompanied by rationale and

curriculum vitae by the appropriate department/program chair and academic dean.

The advisory committee agreed upon by the advisor and student and approved by the

department/program chair and the academic dean shall be recommended to the Dean of the

Graduate School for final approval. Each committee member shall have an equal vote in

committee decisions.

The plan of study should be submitted to the Graduate School for approval not later than the

term immediately after the supervisory committee is formed and must be filed in the Graduate

School prior to scheduling of the preliminary oral examination. Revisions in the program of

study must be approved by the student, advisory committee, department/program chair (when

required) and Dean of the Graduate School. The graduate dean will officially notify the student,

advisory committee, department/program chair, and the academic dean of all changes.

Oral Defense Hearing

Students must be registered for at least one credit in the semester in which they plan to defend

their dissertation and graduate. The graduate dean will formally notify the committee and the

student when and where the examination has been scheduled. The examining committee shall

consist of the student’s advisory committee. The dissertation in a near final form must be given

to the committee members at least seven (7) days prior to the final examination.

Dissertation Approval

At the conclusion of each oral examination, the examining committee shall record in writing its

approval or disapproval of the candidate and file its report with the graduate dean. The

committee’s decision filed on the Report of the Final Examination signifies that the student has

been examined with respect to the knowledge required in the major area and that all course work

26

has been satisfactorily completed. This form should be filed in the Graduate School within seven

(7) days.

After the exam, the student incorporates into the dissertation corrections suggested at the oral

examination. One copy of the dissertation, on regular paper, is presented to the Graduate School

for editing and a format check by a disquisition editor in the Office of Graduate Studies.

After editorial, format, and graduate dean approval, five (5) final copies of the dissertation, on

the required paper and bearing the disquisition approval form signed by the advisor, all other

supervisory committee members, and the department chair, are to be presented, unbound, to the

Office of Graduate Studies. With each copy, the candidate must submit an abstract not exceeding

350 words. These five (5) final copies must be accompanied by a receipt from the Business

Office for the cost of the binding. Two (2) bound copies of the dissertation go to the University

Library. The remaining three (3) bound copies are for the student, the student’s adviser, and the

student’s department. Each candidate who passes the final examination must also submit a sixth

copy of the dissertation, accompanied by an additional copy of the title page and an additional

copy of the Abstract signed by the major adviser.

The student has one (1) year from the date of the final examination to deliver the six (6) final

copies to the Office of Graduate Studies and complete all other degree requirements. Should the

disquisition not be deposited as specified or all other degree requirements not be completed, the

student must repeat the final examination. If a period of time two years or greater lapses before

the final copies are submitted, the student must reapply to the Graduate School and must register

for a minimum of two (2) credits.

27

APPENDIX A: FACULTY MEMBERS

Carol A. Archbold, Professor

Dr. Archbold has been a member of the NDSU faculty since 2005. Her research interests

include women in policing, police misconduct, liability and accountability, and race and

gender in the criminal justice system. She has published her research in a variety of peer-

reviewed journals including: Police Quarterly, Policing: An International Journal of

Police Strategies and Management, Race and Justice, Journal of Interpersonal Violence,

Journal of Criminal Justice and the Journal of Crime and Justice. She has also

authored/co-authored several books including: Police Accountability, Risk Management

and Legal Advising (LFB Scholarly Publishing, New York, NY, 2004); Women and

Policing in America: Classic and Contemporary Readings (with Dr. Dorothy Schulz and

Dr. Kimberly Hassell, Aspen Publishing); Policing: A Text/Reader (Sage Publications);

and The New World of Police Accountability, 2nd edition (with Dr. Samuel Walker, Sage

Publications).

Sarah Boonstoppel, Assistant Professor

Dr. Boonstoppel has been a member of the NDSU faculty since 2014. Her central

research interests include criminological theory, crime and the life course, and qualitative

and mixed research methods. More specifically, her work examines whether and how role

transitions in early young adulthood relate to continuity and change in offending.

Recently, she has analyzed in-depth, qualitative interviews with formerly sanctioned at-

risk young adults to examine the relationship between becoming a parent and the social

and subjective changes implicated in the desistance process. She teaches criminological

theory and juvenile delinquency.

Steven Briggs, Assistant Professor

Dr. Briggs joined the faculty of NDSU in 2013. His research interests center on the

social ecology of crime, police discretion, and police effectiveness. He has published

articles in the American Journal of Criminal Justice, Police Practice & Research: An

International Journal, Criminal Justice Studies: A Critical Journal of Crime, Law, and

Society, and the Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice.

Jeff Bumgarner, Professor & Dept. Head

Dr. Bumgarner’s joined the faculty in 2014. His research interests include policing,

federal law enforcement, federal crime policy, and criminal justice administration.

Recent and forthcoming publications include a book on federal law enforcement, a 2nd

edition book on profiling in criminal justice, a book about criminal justice in Minnesota,

and a book chapter relating to human trafficking. On-going research projects include a

study of local police officer perceptions of federal law enforcement and an examination

of police executive credentialing or certification.

28

Andrew (AJ) Myer, Assistant Professor

Dr. Myer has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and

Political Science at North Dakota State University since 2014. He is also a Research

Fellow with the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute. He has taught courses on

corrections, evidenced based correctional programming, and statistical and research

methodologies. His research interests include effective correctional interventions,

evidence based program evaluation, actuarial offender risk assessment practices, and

macro-social research methods. Dr. Myer has conducted dozens of process and outcome

evaluations of treatment courts (including adult and juvenile treatment courts, gender

specific treatment courts, veteran’s courts, mental health courts, and drug courts). Dr.

Myer has written over 50 technical reports on evidence based program evaluation. He

has published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Criminal Justice Policy

Review, Victims and Offenders, and the Journal of Crime and Justice, and is co-editor of

the book The Origins of American Criminology.

Amy Stichman, Associate Professor

Dr. Stichman is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Criminal Justice at North Dakota

State University. She joined the faculty in 2007. Her previous publications have

included evaluating sex offender laws, use of internships in criminal justice programs,

evaluating correctional programs, and mentoring, workplace experiences, and

tokenism in policing. Additionally, she has published research on correctional officers' bases of power and fear/risk of victimization, and sexual assault on campuses. She teaches courses in corrections, research methods and criminology.

Kevin Thompson, Professor

Dr. Thompson has been a member of the NDSU faculty since 1989. His research focuses

on adolescent behavior disturbances. Some of his current research projects include 1)

survey and experimental studies on how child maltreatment impacts adolescent behavior

problems, 2) the impact of juvenile drug courts on recidivism rates, and 3) the effect of

risky drinking on college student populations. He has published numerous journal articles

which have appeared in the American Journal of Sociology, Social Problems, Deviant

Behavior, Criminal Justice & Behavior, Child Abuse & Neglect, The Journal of

Interpersonal Violence, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent

Psychiatry. Dr. Thompson has served on numerous boards and task forces addressing

issues related to at-risk youth.

29

APPENDIX B: COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

-CJ 606 Crime and Delinquency: Study of the nature and extent of juvenile delinquency.

Analysis causes of juvenile and an exploration of policies to combat delinquency. Accelerated

Master’s program only (3 credits)

-CJ 607 Deviant Behavior: Analysis of the precursors, the processes, and the consequences of

deviance in Western society. Accelerated Master’s program only (3 credits)

-CJ 660 Criminalization: Analysis of historical and contemporary developments in the

functions of police and courts. Focuses on societal, inter- and intra-organizational contexts.

Accelerated Master’s program only (3 credits)

-CJ 661 Corrections: Analysis of institutional and community-centered corrections. Emphasis

on historical, contemporary, and developing trends regarding structures, program content and

problems. Accelerated Master’s program only (3 credits)

-CJ 702 Program Evaluation: Examination of the development and implementation of criminal

justice program/policy evaluation, including the techniques of applied research and practical

considerations. Topics also include ethical issues, evaluation planning, process, impact and cost-

benefit analyses, grant writing, and dissemination of findings. (3 credits)

-CJ 703 Advanced Criminology: Advanced study of the distribution of crime and the major

theories of crime causation from an interdisciplinary perspective, including special attention to

issues relating to the measurement, nature, and extent of crime in the US. (3 credits)

-CJ 707 Juvenile Corrections: Examination of the history of ideas about and responses to

juvenile delinquency, the scope and nature historically and today, and the responses of various

parts of the juvenile justice system, as well as responses by other social institutions such as the

family, community, and schools. (3 credits)

-CJ 709 Criminal Justice Policy: Examination of concepts related to the development,

implementation, and evaluation of public policy as it relates to the criminal justice system,

including the history, development and operation of policing, courts/sentencing, corrections,

crime prevention, offender rehabilitation, and issues related to drugs and crime and race and

crime. (3 credits)

-CJ 721 Individual Theories of Crime: Review of historical and contemporary individual

theories of crime. Discussion of the assumptions, causes, and policy implications of

criminological theories. Prereq: CJ 703. (3 credits)

-CJ 722 Structural Theories of Crime: Review of historical and contemporary structural

theories of crime, including criteria of good theory, the assumptions of various criminological

theories, and the similarities and differences in theories. Prereq: CJ 703. (3 credits)

30

-CJ 733 Issues in Institutional Corrections: Course examining the various issues in adult

prisons and jails in the United States. Topics include male and female inmates' life in prison

violence, prisoners' rights, management and staff issues, and differences between prisons and

jails. (3 credits)

-CJ 734 Advanced Criminal Justice Methods: Provides an examination of the research

process. Explores how criminologists conduct research, pitfalls of research and importance of

discovery and application. Prereq: Undergraduate methods course in social or behavioral

sciences and a statistics course. (3 credits)

-CJ 750 Violence: Examination of various aspects of criminal violence, including various social

settings (e.g., community, domestic, and school) with attention to the causes, consequences,

moderating factors, and proposed solutions associated with violent criminal behavior. (3 credits)

-CJ 752 Criminogenic Commodities: Examination of the role of drugs, guns, and gangs in

contributing to crime. Analysis of the laws pertaining to drugs, guns, and gangs and their impact

on criminality. (3 credits)

-CJ 754 Police and Society: Provides an overview of law enforcement in the United States.

Topics covered in this course include officer use of discretion, officer behavior, organizational

function, and delivery of police services.

-CJ 755 Administrative Policing: Organizational theory, leadership, communication, labor

relations, and crisis management in police administration. (3 credits)

-CJ 757 Community Policing: Examination of the history, philosophy, theory, and

implementation of community policing. Comparison of community policing with other policing

styles. (3 credits)

-CJ 759 Advanced Research Design: Provides an overview of research design used in criminal

justice and criminological research. Students will learn how to critique research designs that are

most commonly used in criminal justice research. (3 credits)

-CJ 760 Police and Race Issues: Provides an in-depth, historical, and contemporary view of the

police and race issues in the US. Discussions on diversity, use of force, racial profiling, and

citizen complaints. (3 credits)

-CJ 761 Police Effectiveness: Examines effectiveness of police delivery services in the US.

Examines theories and scrutinizes factors that are associated with police effectiveness. (3 credits)

-CJ 762 Community Corrections: Evaluation of practices, issues, and trends in community

corrections. Focus on probation, parole, halfway houses, and other community alternatives to

incarceration. (3 credits)

31

-CJ 763 Correctional Rehabilitation: Examines issues related to the implementation and

effectiveness of various correctional treatment approaches and programs. In-depth examination

of the history, purpose and common targets of correctional treatment interventions. (3 credits)

-CJ 764 Punishment and Society: Examines the use of punishment in American society. This

course is designed as a seminar to discuss past and current literature on the evolution of

punishment, the purposes of punishment, and specific types of punishment.

-CJ 765 Classics in Policing: Provides an overview of the classic writings in policing which

provide the foundation for contemporary research in policing. Students will learn how research

in policing has advanced methodologically and theoretically since the first studies were

conducted in the United States over fifty years ago. (3 credits)

-CJ 768 Gender and Justice: Examination of the role of gender in crime and the criminal

justice system, including the changing roles of men and women in society, differential

involvement in criminal behavior, and differential criminal justice response. (3 credits)

-CJ 793 Independent Study: Directed study allowing an individual student, under faculty

supervision, to understand selected, independent work in topics of special interest or a limited

experience in research.

-CJ 795 Field Experience: Field-oriented supervised learning activities outside the college

classroom that include a preplanned assessment of the experience, registration during the term

the experience is conducted, and post evaluation with the instructor.

-CJ 797 Masters Paper: Literature review, research, and preparation for paper required for the

comprehensive study option.

-CJ 798 Masters Thesis: Original investigation under the supervision of a major adviser and a

supervisory committee.

-CJ 899 Doctoral Dissertation: Original investigation under the supervision of a major adviser

and a supervisory committee.